While a plane might escort you to your destination faster, nothing quite feels as picturesque as a train ride. Fortunately, there are lots of beautiful destinations that have trains routing through them, sometimes for a few hours and at times for more than a day. Fasten your seatbelts, the following are the world’s most scenic train rides:

1. Glacier Express: Zermatt to St. Moritz, Switzerland

While Switzerland is eminently known for its finest trains and the marvelous Alps, the place features some of the most breathtaking scenes and landscapes against the soothing-blue sky. What makes this journey on the Glacier Express so delightful is the interspersion of the landscape with far-reaching green valleys and beautiful chalets. The 7-hour journey meanders through 291 bridges and 91 tunnels.

2. The Royal Scotsman, Scotland

Catering to the luxury of elegant wooden décor fused together with heavily-textured furnishings straight out of a dream, this 36-passenger train starts from Edinburgh and travels through the Scottish Highlands, incalculable lakes and a lush, green countryside.

3. Maharajas Express, India

Maharajas Express was unveiled in 2010 in an endeavor to give locals and international tourists a taste of the Incredible India’s royalty. Catering to 88 passengers, this luxury carriage covers a scenic journey from Delhi to Mumbai which takes nearly a week. The train takes you through some of India’s most beautiful destinations, including Agra, Udaipur, Ranthambore and much more.

4. The Tranzalpine: Christchurch to Greymouth, New Zealand

Traversing from the garden city of Christchurch to the rocky landscape of Greymouth, the scenic Tranzalpine offers breath-taking views of the beautiful Waimakiri River, alpine-scape and the lush green Canterbury farmland. What’s more? It passes through the Otira Rail Tunnel, which was created by lambasting a humongous rock patch of about 5.5 miles.

5. The Rocky Mountaineer: Banff to Vancouver, Canada

The Rocky Mountaineer offers a spectacular two-day journey which takes you through Alberta’s striking Banff resort town to the iconic Canadian Rockies to the garden-fresh Vancouver city. Enriched with the goodness of personalized meals, cocktails and tidbits which are all served in an up-beat dining car, this train ride is probably the most scenic train ride you’ll ever take.

6. Denali Star, Anchorage to Fairbanks, Alaska

Catering to a memorable journey for a lifetime, the Denali Star offers jaw-dropping wildlife views of the Alaskan Tundra, which is famous for both its rich wildlife as well as breath-taking natural landscapes. The train also passes through Wasailla, the eminent hub of the region’s iconic dog sled races.

7. Orient Express, Cusco to Machu Picchu, Peru

Connecting Cusco to Machu Picchu, the Orient Express travels through a quaint Urubamba River Valley. Passengers could enjoy the beautiful views from their windows in addition to the scrumptious brunch and the delectable dinner which is served on the ride. Moreover, the train is loaded with the goodness of elegant furniture and exquisite tableware.